Our Thanksgiving

Okay, so I wrote this post the day after Thanksgiving but never finished it.  So when you read "today..... blah, blah, blah, that's really Friday, one day after turkey day"  get it?  

Today my girls were in their jammies all day from when I put them on (at Grandma and Grandpa's house) until bath time tonight.  It was a marvelous 'day after Thanksgiving day here in our home' filled with Christmas songs, all the red and green boxes, twinkling lights, and Rudolph on in the background.  But they're not feeling well.  Abigail has been sick for over a week and Anna is fighting what her sister had and has.  

But on to our Thanksgiving.  Because that was pretty good too!

Night before magic.  Cooking, nails, turkey place cards, and new Pandora station called Thanksgiving Day.



Opened that pottery at my wedding shower when I was just 22 years old.  And I knew in an instant what I'd use it for.  My mom's Kentucky Bourbon Sweet Potatoes recipe that I was then in charge of making.  Love that pottery.





I had this idea a few weeks back.  Let's have our friends over on Thanksgiving morning for breakfast.  Just a ton of cereal choices, coffee, tea, everyone (grownups too) in their jammies and the Macy's parade on.  Well, two out of the rest happened.  We all wore our jammies.  The Macy's parade was on.  But we don't even eat cereal in this house.  And not making a fun and pretty breakfast was just not possible for me.

So it turned from bowls of cereal to this.







And this





And this











And this.





But the joy was still the same.





And it was still waaaay easy, laid back, and delicious.  In food and in friendship.

How in the world did we ever get so blessed to call this family our best friends?  


Man, if a picture says a thousand words here about Anna and how much this friendship means to her... 


Then hair was curled, jammies were off and dresses put on.  It was time for the 'real deal'. Well, after I made the pie.









Yes, I've been waiting my whole life for Abigail to wear that coat... and Anna in hers... I love little girls in pretty coats.  



Okay, well I swoon over pretty dresses too.  Be still my heart... huge bows, long hair, and above the knee dresses.  I searched high and low for those.  Why are fancy dresses always soooo long?  I love a little girl in tights and an above the knee dress.  Ever see Miracle on 34th street?  Oh those clothes!  



We stopped at Scott's sister's house first.  It smelled like heaven in there.  She was carving the turkey as we were arriving and all of the side dishes were put on the table so it was a short visit.  But not too short to hear my niece play for us.



Or too short for a few quick snapshots.

Scott's sister (as if you couldn't tell!) 



His mom and aunt



And then we were only ten minutes from my parents.  More smells from the kitchen. And magic with Grandparents.





Helping Grandma in the kitchen





Puppy love



More cousins to visit.





And a good ol fashioned game to telephone at the dinner table... now that's Thanksgiving!









More Thanksgiving.







Christmas Songs for us



Reading her Turkey Story to Grandma



Love this one of Abigail reacting to the part where the turkey got away again!  







And today, tomorrow, and the next day we'll be Christmas in here until they can't stand it any more and run off happily to work and school and I'll stay in this house with the music playing even longer.  Oh I love this season!  xoxox friends, Happy Thanksgiving!

A Few Days Before Thanksgiving

A few thoughts first...
~ I try and will myself to remember things that one day I know I won't remember.

~ Like how Abigail said, "Happy Thanksgiving Mable"  in her singsongy sweet voice at dismissal.

~ Or how her Kindergarten teacher said to me at dismissal, "Abigail tells me that her Grandma makes the best stuffing."

~ Or the way Anna bounced into the car after helping with her Safety Patrol telling us "Happy Thanksgiving"

~ And even in their "giving tree" the made out of construction paper and taped on the playroom wall with bags filled with drawings and little gifts from around the house for the people they love.

~ In their short lives so far they know that tomorrow is a special day.  They feel it too.  And in some ways I can check that off my list of things this mama wanted to teach her daughters.  How to love, really love, deep down love every single holiday.  How to make yourself feel warm and fuzzy about them.  How to work hard to make the details and create the magic.  My mom taught me that.  Over and over and over she taught me that.

Okay... a few thoughts done (back to the post I was planning writing)

I had a little one home with a fever on Monday.

(You'd keep her home if your 6 year old looked like that in the morning, right?)


There's not much time for anything when she's sick.  Just some laundry in a place I don't usually fold it.



And cuddles in bed in the middle of the day (yes I should feel bad she's sick but down deep I love these days)



Lots of baby doll play in your nightgown









And more cuddles from daddy when he gets home.



Oh, and what else was this week?  The last of the pumpkin shirts and dresses were worn all week.  As they will be packed away for the red and green clothes coming out soon.





Today they had a short day of school so I baked, cooked, cleaned and got everything ready.

Tomorrow we go to my parents for a lovely Thanksgiving.  They live just a half hour away and mom makes a magical meal, start to finish.  They'll be a fire in the fireplace and wine in glasses.  My moms famous stuffing and mashed potatoes galore.  She's been hosting Thanksgiving forever and she has perfected it.  They'll be cousins to play with and a baby nephew to hold.  The shoes are shinned, the long church coats chosen and ready to go.  Let the Holiday begin! 

(Just realized that she can turn this on to the Christmas music herself) 


Certainly not perfect, but we're happy.  Love my new bookmark Anna.



The weekend before Thanksgiving Scott and I always watch Trains, Planes and Automobiles (ya know the one where Steve Martin tires to get home for Thanksgiving?)